editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Eric WesterveltSat, 17 Feb 2018 01:00:54 +0000Eric Westervelthttp://wamc.org
Eric WesterveltRamona Morales, who turns 80 in May, technically has a criminal record. Her offense? One of her renters kept chickens. "Beautiful chickens. Beautiful roosters they were," Morales says walking in the backyard of the modest ranch home she rents out in the Coachella Valley city of Indio, Calif. Beautiful, but annoying to some neighbors and against the Indio's municipal code on keeping farm animals in a residential area. And violating that code comes with a price. The price for Morales: $6,000. The steep fine stems from a change in city codes. In most American towns, a loud dog or a room addition without the proper permits would get you a potential citation and fine. Indio and other Southern California cities are now prosecuting code violators criminally and slapping homeowners like Morales with bills they can't afford to pay. City administrators defend their aggressive approach, saying they're simply recovering the public cost of getting people to clean up their acts. But a nonprofitSome California Cities Criminalize Nuisance Code Violationshttp://wamc.org/post/some-california-cities-criminalize-nuisance-code-violations
180366 as http://wamc.orgWed, 14 Feb 2018 10:53:00 +0000Some California Cities Criminalize Nuisance Code ViolationsEric WesterveltOn one level, it looks like all is mostly back to normal in the small, rural community of Rancho Tehama in Northern California. But just below the surface it's clear people here are still grappling with the aftermath of a local man's murderous rampage nearly three months ago that killed five and wounded 12 others. Parents and school officials are thankful, yet still deeply shaken; some of the wounded feel forgotten and misled; many residents feel the police dropped the ball and say officers should have kept a closer eye on a troubled man whose life was clearly spiraling out of control. The attack in Rancho Tehama, population just over 1,400, was among the more than 300 mass shootings in America last year in which four or more persons were wounded or killed. The bigger ones, including the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, received lots of coverage by us and other media during and after the attack. The smaller ones often received far less. We wanted to see how people inCalifornia Town Wrestles With Aftermath Of Shooting Rampage http://wamc.org/post/california-town-wrestles-aftermath-shooting-rampage
180101 as http://wamc.orgFri, 09 Feb 2018 18:05:00 +0000California Town Wrestles With Aftermath Of Shooting Rampage Eric WesterveltBranches of America's federal law enforcement and intelligence services may be secretly helping state and local police arrest suspects every day in ways that raise fundamental questions about defendants' civil and due process rights, according to a recent Human Rights Watch report . The report makes the case that federal law enforcers, police and local prosecutors are concealing the origins of evidence and intelligence in scores of criminal cases, especially drug arrests. The intelligence may include National Security Agency mass surveillance programs , wiretaps, computer and phone surveillance, and physical surveillance. Defendants, the report says, often have no idea about the underlying investigative tactics and constitutionally dubious methods, including warrantless searches, that may have been used in gathering evidence against them. The report's lead author, Sarah St. Vincent, says hiding the evidentiary trail opens the door to law enforcement abuse and misconduct. "You couldReport Alleges Police Use Secret Evidence Collected By Feds To Make Arrestshttp://wamc.org/post/report-alleges-police-use-secret-evidence-collected-feds-make-arrests
179523 as http://wamc.orgThu, 01 Feb 2018 10:00:00 +0000Report Alleges Police Use Secret Evidence Collected By Feds To Make ArrestsEric WesterveltPresident Trump took office in January, vowing in a dark-toned inaugural to end what he described as "this American carnage" fueled by gangs, drugs and street violence. America did see historic carnage in 2017, but critics say it had far less to do with gangs and drugs than with disturbed individuals with easy access to firearms. October saw the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in modern U.S. history. A gunman holed up in a suite at the Mandalay Bay casino hotel in Las Vegas and rained gunfire on a country music concert across from the hotel. The attack left 58 people dead and more than 500 others injured. It's still a mystery to investigators what sparked the gunman's carefully planned assault. Many of those who survived the gunfire are struggling with the aftermath. "What bothers me more than the motive, or lack of motive, is lack of information," survivor Melissa Barham recently told Weekend Edition . "Whenever we get a little tidbit of something, we just jump on, because weAfter A Vow To End 'This American Carnage,' A Year Of Deadly Violencehttp://wamc.org/post/after-vow-end-american-carnage-year-deadly-violence
177230 as http://wamc.orgWed, 27 Dec 2017 12:46:00 +0000After A Vow To End 'This American Carnage,' A Year Of Deadly ViolenceEric WesterveltCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: I'm Kelly McEvers in Culver City, Calif., with an update on yesterday's deadly shooting rampage in rural Northern California - a rampage where the shooter at one point ended up in an elementary school. Now at least 10 people are wounded, and six are dead. The dead include the gunman and his wife. Police say they found her body today, and they also provided more details about him. NPR's Eric Westervelt is here with an update from Tehama County. Hey there, Eric. ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: Hi, Kelly. MCEVERS: So what are police saying about this gunman? WESTERVELT: Well, the gunman was 43-year-old Kevin Neal. He grew up in North Carolina, moved to California about 10 years ago to work as a mechanic. That job didn't work out. He got married. And from all accounts, Kelly, he struggled to keep down a steady job. He ended up in this, you know, small, rural community. And over time, people say he became increasingly angry, isolated andNorthern California Gunman's Wife Found Dead, Bringing Death Toll To 6http://wamc.org/post/northern-california-gunmans-wife-found-dead-bringing-death-toll-6
174670 as http://wamc.orgWed, 15 Nov 2017 21:58:00 +0000Northern California Gunman's Wife Found Dead, Bringing Death Toll To 6Eric WesterveltThe national effort to get states to move away from a bail system based on money — something detractors call unjust and antiquated — got a big boost this week: A yearlong study backed by California's chief justice recommended money bail be abolished and replaced with a system that includes robust safety assessments and expanded pretrial services. Calling the state's commercial bail system "unsafe and unfair," a working group created by California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye argues that the state's bail system bases a defendant's liberty too much on his or her finances, rather than an assessment of whether the defendant is a flight or safety risk. "Therein lies the fundamental fairness issue of: Is there a two-tier justice system that is operating here?" asks Martin Hoshino, who heads the Judicial Council of California, which is an advisory and policymaking council of the state's courts. This week's report says those of means awaiting trial often have the ability to pay their wayCalifornia's Bail System Is 'Unsafe And Unfair,' Study Findshttp://wamc.org/post/californias-bail-system-unsafe-and-unfair-study-finds
173206 as http://wamc.orgWed, 25 Oct 2017 15:40:35 +0000California's Bail System Is 'Unsafe And Unfair,' Study FindsEric WesterveltUpdated at 8:30 p.m. ET Some 9,000 firefighters who are working long hours with little or no rest continue to battle historically destructive Northern California wildfires that have claimed at least 40 lives, wiped out whole neighborhoods and damaged vineyards and farms in the heart of the state's wine country. In this week's fires alone, 22 people have died, the Sonoma County Coroner's office said Saturday. "We're pretty exhausted. It's pretty steep terrain," Sonoma wildland firefighter Steven Moore says at a makeshift staging area next to the Tubbs Fire, which is still raging just a few miles outside the tourist city of Calistoga. Moore says he has hardly slept this week. "We've been dealing with trying to save the structures. The winds aren't helping. All we can do is get to the structures as fast as we possibly can and save what we can." Additional firefighting resources have poured into California in the last 24 hours from across the state and the nation. Fueled mostly by chewingIn Northern California, Exhausted Firefighters Push Themselves 'To The Limits'http://wamc.org/post/exhausted-firefighters-make-progress-against-northern-california-wildfires
172554 as http://wamc.orgSat, 14 Oct 2017 16:54:00 +0000In Northern California, Exhausted Firefighters Push Themselves 'To The Limits'Eric WesterveltCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.California Wildfires Not Yet Containedhttp://wamc.org/post/california-wildfires-not-yet-contained
172438 as http://wamc.orgThu, 12 Oct 2017 21:09:00 +0000California Wildfires Not Yet ContainedEric WesterveltCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And police in Boston, New York, Chicago and other cities say they're bolstering security for concerts, sporting events and marathons this weekend in the wake of the Las Vegas attack. That massacre was carried out by a man shooting from a high-rise position in a hotel at thousands of people at a concert below. The shooting has sparked police and the public to rethink what more might be done to improve security at public events and places. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Las Vegas. ERIC WESTERVELT: At one of the many night vigils here this week, there were prayers songs and candles for the 58 people murdered - citizens coming together in a tree-dotted suburban park to honor the dead while wondering what the nightmarish attack might mean for the living. Las Vegas resident Judd Dagh (ph), a father of two, says we've gotten used to metal detectors, pat-downs and security lines at airports and concerts. Maybe hotels are next. JUDDRethinking Security In Public Placeshttp://wamc.org/post/rethinking-security-public-places
172099 as http://wamc.orgSat, 07 Oct 2017 12:18:00 +0000Rethinking Security In Public PlacesEric WesterveltThere's about 10 feet between Judge Craig Hannah's courtroom bench and the place where a defendant stands to be arraigned here in Buffalo City Court. But for 26-year-old Caitlyn Stein, it has been a long, arduous 10 feet. "This is your first day back! Good to see you!" Judge Hannah says as he greets her. "Good to see you," Stein says, smiling. "We've got to do that after picture. We did the before ," Judge Hannah reminds her. It's 10 feet of space where Stein began to walk back 10 years of crippling intravenous heroin addiction and its sordid aftermath: burned bridges with family and friends, and a stream of lies and criminality to support her drug habit. Today is Stein's first day back before Hannah after a month of inpatient treatment in Buffalo's new opioid intervention court. Stein shows the judge a folder full of awards and certificates earned during her recovery. "Oh, you've also been a positive peer mentor. Wow. You really did your thing down there. Congratulations," Hannah saysTo Save Opioid Addicts, This Experimental Court Is Ditching The Delayshttp://wamc.org/post/save-opioid-addicts-experimental-court-ditching-delays
171929 as http://wamc.orgThu, 05 Oct 2017 09:13:33 +0000To Save Opioid Addicts, This Experimental Court Is Ditching The DelaysEric WesterveltCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: I'm Mary Louise Kelly in Las Vegas, where we are broadcasting today from the heart of the Strip. We are 22 floors up. Spread down below me, I'm looking down on the famous fountain of the Bellagio Casino. That fountain was turned off for two days out of respect for the people killed when a shooter opened fire a few blocks from here on Sunday. The fountain is now back on, as Vegas struggles to return to something resembling normalcy and as investigators work to reconstruct the life and movements of that shooter. Here with me now is NPR's Eric Westervelt. He has been tracking the investigation. Hey, Eric. ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: Good evening. KELLY: So the latest news tonight is a statement from the lawyer of the shooter's girlfriend. Remind us who she is and what we learned. WESTERVELT: That's right. Marilou Danley is a former casino hostess. She's considered a key witness, a person of interest - not necessarily someoneInvestigators Working To Reconstruct Life, Movements Of Las Vegas Shooterhttp://wamc.org/post/investigators-working-reconstruct-life-movements-las-vegas-shooter
171921 as http://wamc.orgWed, 04 Oct 2017 20:47:00 +0000Investigators Working To Reconstruct Life, Movements Of Las Vegas ShooterEric WesterveltCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: And we start this hour in Las Vegas where investigators continue to sift through clues into Sunday's mass shooting. Authorities have now identified all but three of the 59 people killed in the attack, and they say the number of people injured remains around 500. NPR's Eric Westervelt has been following all this and joins me now with the latest. And Eric, there was a news conference this afternoon. First, has anything more been learned about the shooter, Stephen Paddock? ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: Good evening, Robert. Yeah, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about this 64-year-old retired accountant, about his motive and really what he did in the final hours and days before this murder spree. Today Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo offered some new details. He confirmed that some of the weapons found in Paddock's hotel room had added what are called bump stocks, these sort of do-it-yourself devices that you can use toLas Vegas Shooter's Motive Remains Unknownhttp://wamc.org/post/las-vegas-shooters-motive-remains-unknown
171842 as http://wamc.orgTue, 03 Oct 2017 20:51:00 +0000Las Vegas Shooter's Motive Remains UnknownEric Westervelt"Never forget" became a national rallying cry after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Yet America's schools — where collective memory is shaped — are now full of students who never knew because they weren't alive then. Many teachers now struggle with whether and how to teach the attacks and their aftermath. According to one survey, only about 20 states include anything in depth about the events of that fateful day in their high school social studies curriculum. And when they are taught, critics say, it's often through a narrow lens. Ask students born after 2001 what they know about the attacks, and many admit they have big knowledge gaps — gaps that they also want filled in. "It was a really big part of other people's lives. I wasn't born then," says Kaylah Eggsware, a seventh-grader at Greenfield Middle School in Greenfield, Mass. "I don't know about it, so I don't know how to feel about it." "I'd like to know exactly, like, everything that happened. Because I don't know exactly how manyTeaching Sept. 11 To Students Who Were Born After The Attackshttp://wamc.org/post/apparent-ethnic-cleansing-now-unfolding-myanmar-un-says
170418 as http://wamc.orgMon, 11 Sep 2017 08:20:00 +0000Teaching Sept. 11 To Students Who Were Born After The AttacksEric WesterveltUpdated at 8:42 p.m. ET Organizers of what was being called a "freedom rally" Saturday in San Francisco had hoped to draw an audience for their conservative causes. Instead, they say rhetoric from politicians and groups on the left compromised their safety by attracting extremists. On Facebook Friday afternoon, one of the organizers, Joey Gibson, announced that the event at San Francisco's Crissy Field was canceled and would now be a news conference at Alamo Square Park. Just two weeks after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., left one woman dead and ignited a national debate about racism, symbols of white supremacy and free speech, several alt-right groups planned to rally this weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area, unnerving residents, police and politicians. "Charlottesville has raised the stakes," said Jesse Arreguin, mayor of Berkeley, Calif. "So we are very concerned about any violence that could happen in our city." A far-right rally in Berkeley reportedly is alsoBay Area Braces For Protests: 'Charlottesville Has Raised The Stakes' http://wamc.org/post/bay-area-braces-protests-charlottesville-has-raised-stakes
169413 as http://wamc.orgFri, 25 Aug 2017 17:01:26 +0000Bay Area Braces For Protests: 'Charlottesville Has Raised The Stakes' Eric WesterveltIn the dawn hours of July 16, Edward French, a professional film and TV scout and avid photographer, stood atop Twin Peaks, the famed San Francisco hillside with its panoramic views of his hometown. French, 71, had his camera with him, as he always did. "He knew beautiful places. He was trying to catch the sunrise coming up Sunday morning, especially the way the city's skyline is changing," says Brian Higginbotham, French's longtime partner. "I'm sure he was just up there sitting against the wall taking that classic shot you see down Market Street with the East Bay in the distance." That's when, it is alleged, 19-year-old Lamonte Mims and 20-year-old Fantasy Decuir accosted French, stole his camera, and shot him with a handgun. Prosecutors have said they have video surveillance evidence that Decuir pulled the trigger while Mims robbed the photographer. A nearby jogger heard the gunfire, called 911, and administered CPR. It was too late. French was dead. "I'm still kind of in shock. WeDid A Bail Reform Algorithm Contribute To This San Francisco Man's Murder? http://wamc.org/post/did-bail-reform-algorithm-contribute-san-francisco-mans-murder
169003 as http://wamc.orgFri, 18 Aug 2017 18:00:00 +0000Did A Bail Reform Algorithm Contribute To This San Francisco Man's Murder? Eric WesterveltPublic defenders in Baltimore say hundreds of criminal cases could be tossed out after two incidents discovered on police body cameras this summer show officers allegedly planting drug evidence . So far some 40 criminal cases have been dropped, mostly involving drug and weapons-related felonies. But lawyers there say that's just the beginning. "I would say there are hundreds and hundreds of cases directly affected between the two cases," Debbie Katz Levi, director of special litigation for Baltimore's Office of the Public Defender tells NPR. "I think it's safe to say if you included all of the officers, you're probably at around 500 cases." The Baltimore police internal affairs office is investigating. The Baltimore City State's Attorney's office says "we are currently reviewing numbers." "These officers are employed by the Baltimore Police Department. Therefore, it is a problem that BPD must solve," says Caron A. Brace, chief of staff for Marilyn Mosby , the State's Attorney forNew Baltimore Police Scandal Threatens Criminal Caseshttp://wamc.org/post/new-baltimore-police-scandal-threatens-criminal-cases
168314 as http://wamc.orgTue, 08 Aug 2017 20:53:19 +0000New Baltimore Police Scandal Threatens Criminal CasesEric WesterveltThe cubist revolution, now in its eighth year, is thriving. That's Minecraft cubes, of course. The game where you build virtual Lego-like worlds and populate them with people, animals and just about everything in between is one of the most popular games ever made; it's second only to Tetris as the best-selling video game of all time. There's gold in them thar cubes: More than 120 million copies have sold since Minecraft launched in 2009.* So what's behind the game's enduring appeal? For Isiah Hammonds, 9, it's all about the creative potential every time you fire up your computer. "You can build anything – anything that you put your mind to! You can work with other people. It's social. It's just super fun!" he says while focusing intensely on finishing his virtual ice arena with his multi-player team of fellow Minecraft campers in Richmond, Calif. "It's for our ice boat racing." Hammonds, a third-grader, is in a basement room in Richmond's City Hall, next to the cafeteria and a janitorThe Cubist Revolution: Minecraft For Allhttp://wamc.org/post/cubist-revolution-minecraft-all
168259 as http://wamc.orgTue, 08 Aug 2017 09:09:00 +0000The Cubist Revolution: Minecraft For AllEric WesterveltThe Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it would waive environmental and other laws to ensure the "expeditious construction" of barriers and roads near the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Diego region. Environmentalists have warned that extending the border wall could damage ecosystems and threaten wildlife habitats. Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: President Trump's plan to build a giant wall on the U.S.-Mexico border took a small step forward today. The Department Of Homeland Security announced it would use its power to go around environmental and other laws to help expedite construction in the San Diego area. The department hopes to start building border wall prototypes and replacement fencing later this summer. Environmentalists say it could damage fragile ecosystems and threaten wildlife. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports. ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Customs and Border Protection are already taking soilDHS Waives Environmental Laws For Border Wall Constructionhttp://wamc.org/post/dhs-waives-environmental-laws-border-wall-construction
167886 as http://wamc.orgTue, 01 Aug 2017 20:29:00 +0000DHS Waives Environmental Laws For Border Wall ConstructionEric WesterveltKareem Abdul-Jabbar is taking his shot helping narrow the opportunity and equity gaps with his Skyhook Foundation and Camp Skyhook. The Los Angeles nonprofit helps public school students in the city access a free, fun, weeklong STEM education camp experience in the Angeles National Forest. Every week throughout the year, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Unified School District, groups of 4th and 5th graders attend Camp Skyhook at the Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center, one of the oldest outdoor education centers in America. The hands-on science curriculum allows students to study nature up close: take water temperature in a stream, get soil or forest samples during a hike, study the local wildlife or explore the stars. That's alongside the traditional fare of hiking, swimming, and campfire songs. It's so popular there's basically a five-year waiting list for the camp in the city's schools, where about 80 percent of students receive free and reduced-price lunch. Having an NBA HallFrom Skyhook To STEM: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brings The Sciencehttp://wamc.org/post/skyhook-stem-kareem-abdul-jabbar-brings-science
167488 as http://wamc.orgThu, 27 Jul 2017 10:07:00 +0000From Skyhook To STEM: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brings The ScienceEric WesterveltThe Golden State Warriors earned their second NBA title in three years with a 129 to 120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland Monday night, led by All-Star forward Kevin Durant's 39 points and strong bench scoring. Durant's stellar play all season and throughout the playoffs vindicated Golden State's massive payout to the superstar in a controversial off-season deal. Fellow All-Star Stephen Curry added 34 points. But it was Durant, who left Oklahoma City for Oakland at the end of last season, who carried the team. The capacity crowd, most dressed in Warrior gold T-shirts, cheered and sang along with the tune "We Are The Champions" as confetti fell. Warriors' sluggish beginning gives way to brilliance The Warriors started the game lackluster and trailed at the end of the first quarter. But a Durant dunk about four minutes into the second sent the sold-out hometown crowd into a frenzy. The Warriors went on a 21-to-2 second-quarter run. They led at the half by 11. The Warriors,Golden State Takes 2nd NBA Title In 3 Yearshttp://wamc.org/post/golden-state-takes-2nd-nba-title-3-years
164555 as http://wamc.orgTue, 13 Jun 2017 05:50:00 +0000Golden State Takes 2nd NBA Title In 3 Years